Breton Follies Presents RECLAMATION Choreographic World Premiere At The Jefferson Market Library

Breton Follies Productions presents the world premiere of RECLAMATION, a new choreographic work directed, choreographed, and performed by Breton Tyner-Bryan (Winner World London IFF, Madrid IFF, Barcelona IFF) at the Jefferson Market Library Garden Formerly The Women's House of Detention, in collaboration with Allan Berube Prize winning writer and historian Hugh Ryan (When Brooklyn Was Queer), with an original score composed by Ai Isshiki (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theater), performed by Breton Follies Performers Dajuan Harris (Spike Lee, Madonna), James Jude Johnson (Juilliard), Tatiana Stewart (The Deuce, Love Life), and Breton Tyner-Bryan (Big Apple Film Festival LGBTQ SHORTS).

Breton Tyner-Bryan will respond to the metaphysical energy of this historical site, through the medium of dance, as an expression of spiritual freedom, honoring the queer community's undeniable contributions to the Village's culture and identity. With a passion for time travel, nostalgia, and architectural design, Tyner-Bryan has been drawn to the unique history of the Jefferson Market Library. In celebration of public performance spaces as an equalizer of accessibility, Tyner-Bryan is thrilled to be screening her latest films INVICTA and WEST OF FRANK, both shot in New York City, in tandem with the reopening of the Jefferson Market Library in 2021.

Hugh Ryan will read an exclusive excerpt from his new book, The Women's House of Detention, which explores the story of one building and so much more: the people it caged, the neighborhood it changed, and the resistance it inspired

"The energy a space possesses, has always intrigued me as a psychic gateway through the perception of time. The Jefferson Market Library, rich in history and architectural design, has been a space of inspiration and limitless discovery for me as a filmmaker and choreographer. I am thrilled to be collaborating with Hugh Ryan, who through his tireless research and commitment to his craft, has furthered my understanding of the space, and what it truly means to have the freedom to create it in." said director, choreographer, performer Breton Tyner-Bryan.

"I am honored to get the chance to tell the story of the House of D in its original location, with such incredible artistic collaborators." said writer, historian, Hugh Ryan.

RECLAMATION is produced by Breton Follies Productions in association with Hugh Ryan, Frank Collerius, and The Jefferson Market Library Garden.

This event was made possible by generous support from the City Artist Corps Grants, created by NYFA and DCLA with support from the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) as well as Queens Theatre.

The New York Women's House of Detention was a women's prison in Manhattan, New York from 1932 to 1974. Built on the site of the Jefferson Market Prison that had succeeded the Jefferson Market in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, it is believed to have been the world's only art deco prison, designed by Sloan & Robertson in 1931 at a cost of $2,000,000 and opened on March 29, 1932. Its location at 10 Greenwich Avenue gave the women inmates an opportunity to communicate with people walking by. The prison was officially closed on June 13, 1971, and demolition of the prison began in 1973, and it was replaced with a garden. Some of its most famous inhabitants include Angela Davis, Andrea Dworkin, and Mae West.

For more information, please visit https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2021/10/16/womens-house-detention-happening.